Untung Surapati

Untung Suropati also Untung Surapati (1660 – 5 December 1706) was an Indonesian warfighter who led a few rebellions against the Dutch East India Company (VOC). Some of his exploits were written in Babad Tanah Jawi.^[1]

Early life

Surapati was born Surawiraaji, a Balinese. According to Buleleng sources he was the son of the general for the kingdom of Swecalinggarsa-pura Gelgel. After some conflict, his father alongside loyal followers sought refuge in Marga Tabanan village. Surapati, at the time four years old, was separated from the entourage when crossing the Ayung River.^[2] He was bought by VOC Captain van Beber in the Bali market. Surapati then lived as a slave in Batavia, the headquarters of the VOC (now Jakarta). He was then sold to other VOC officials until he was eventually bought by edeleer Moor, which gave him the nickname "Untung" (lit. lucky) because his career and fortune improved after acquiring him.^[3] He began a relationship with Moor's daughter Suzanne and had a son, Robert, Untung was imprisoned because of this.^[4] In prison, he became acquainted with Wirayuda and Kiai Ebun Jaladirya, who taught him Islam and formulated a plan against the Dutch. in 1678, he then managed to flee to the mountainous area in the south of the city, in Udug-udug, Western Java, before moving to Cisero in 1679 and becoming a brigand.^[2] The name "Surapati" was given to him because he was involved in a conflict with a prince from Cirebon called Raden Surapati, in which Untung was accused of undermining the Sultan of Cirebon. Untung was able to prove his innocence, and instead, Raden Surapati was shown to have plotted against the Sultan. Raden Surapati was sentenced to death and the Sultan gave the name "Surapati" to Untung, who then began to use the name "Untung Surapati".^[3]

Surapati in Banten

The name "Surapati" was listed earlier in Dagh-Register 1676 among Balinese sworn on the Koran an oath of fidelity to the VOC. Other Balinese were Nayawangsa (or Wangsanaya) of Udug-Udug, Cakrayuda of Kamakoening, and Surayuda alongside Surapati from Cisero. However it is unclear whether this refers to the same Surapati as in 1680, Cakrayuda wrote a letter to VOC that his "brother Surapati" was killed against Bantenese Raiders, in a later letter from Cakrayuda and Nayawangsa this was mentioned again. However, later on, Surapati was listed among the Balinese who asked for orders from Dutch officer Jan Barvelt. In a letter dated 31 March 1683 to Captain Ruijs from Cikalong, 48 Balinese under Wirayuda alongside 27 others in ill health were ready to obey the Company command, Ruijs treated them well and with the promise to not enslave them again in the hope that a certain Surapati would also surrender. As he planned to make a Balinese unit to fight against Sultan Ageng Tirtayasa's followers, in the Banten civil war with his son Sultan Haji. On 5 May, Surapati joined with Ruijs and was put as lieutenant of the Balinese. Surapati and the Balinese were involved in the battle of Dayeuhluhur and Pamotan against Sheik Yusuf, (son-in-law of Tirtayasa) forces. Later on, Surapati was sent to meet with Pangeran Purbaya (another son of Ageng Tirtayasa) and his wife Raden Ayu Gusik Kusuma alongside fled to Gunung Gede and only wanted to surrender to a native VOC officer. Surapati was tasked to escort and negotiate with Pangeran Purbaya, as he only trusted native officers, and managed to deliver Purbaya's request for a house in Balabang southeast of Cikalong. However, Surapati would later be joined by Vaandrig Willem Kuffeler. Kuffeler demanded that Pangeran Purbaya surrender his kris and other valuables which then resulted in Pangeran Purbaya fleeing and breaking negotiations. Kuffeler then blamed this on Surapati and ordered him to pursue Pangeran Purbaya, while Surapati refused the order as he was of higher rank and only reported to Captain Ruijs, hearing Kuffeler threatened to put Surapati and his followers back into slavery, and in the following altercations slap Surapati's faces. Seeing these there was great turbulence among Surapati followers refusing to follow orders and wanting to take revenge.^[5]

In January 1684, with other soldiers, he attacked Kuffeler's camp which killed 15 Dutch and 28 Mardijker, although Kuffeler escaped. Meanwhile, Pangeran Purbaya surrendered on 7 February and was taken to Batavia. VOC at a loss on how to deal with Surapati's group enlisted Buleleng at first to pursue Surapati with the promise of pardon, however later found it unnecessary as Pangeran Purbaya surrendered and was in no danger of joining up with Surapati. Buleleng later wrote to Surapati to report to him in Cirebon and explain his actions, writing the company might distrust Balinese, who had been favored compared to Buginese and Makassarese. The company later also asked Captain Ruijs to write a letter to Surapati 'as if in his initiative', the possibility of a pardon if Surapati surrendered some of his most guilty followers. Another letter explains that Ruijs was in Batavia van Happel and Marten Samson was in charge in Cirebon, and they had received a letter from Surapati from Galunggang, that any of his followers not willing to come may be regarded as an enemy and be put to death, if he needed horses he can ask from Tumenggung of Sukapura. Meanwhile, in another letter, Tumenggung of Sukapura wrote to Samson and van Happel that he was awaiting orders to take up arms against Surapati's group. Surapati continued to hesitate with good reason as runaway slaves still had to repay his purchase price to their former owner which in effect returned them to slavery. Later at the end of April or early May, Surapati wrote to van Happel, that he could not come to Cirebon because of a 'sore leg'; both Surapati and Tumenggung of Sukapura would be sending a deputy to discuss the matter, Surapati would also send van Happel a bird and a horse as gifts. However, these negotiations did not produce an agreement which resulted in Surapati groups being declared enemies of VOC on 21 May. An expedition from Batavia to Cirebon by sea was sent in September 1674 under Jacob Couper, consisting of 457 Dutch and 300 Indonesian soldiers. On 24 September, Couper's expedition left Cirebon for Rajapolah, already forty Dutch soldiers fell ill and the heavy rain and marshy terrain made progress difficult. By early October they reached Rajapolah and Surapati would launch an attack in this neighborhood on 3 October with around 500 Balinese and 300 Javanese. The weather favoured the Dutch as the heavy rain stopped and they were able to use firearms killing about fifty to sixty of Surapati's men. Dutch pursuit would be hampered by heavy rain that caused flooding rivers meanwhile Surapati and his followers would reach Bagelen and Banyumas. Couper's expedition would be called off at this point because of the amount of sickness of his troops and he returned to Cirebon and met up with van Happel there.^[5]

Surapati at Kartasura

Surapati then left Kartasura for Pasuruan in East Java, where he carved out a stronghold in the land of Mataram. According to Babad tradition, he was given the title "Tumenggung Wiranegara" and ruled as the fifth Adipati of Pasuruan.^[3] Amangkurat did not intend to be dispossessed and in 1690 he sent an army that was then defeated by Surapati, whose mastery of military techniques was acquired from his experience in Dutch troops, which gave him an advantage over the Javanese. In 1699, the stronghold of Surapati extended over a significant part of East Java and included Madiun.

Amangkurat II died in 1703. His son succeeded him under the title of

Surapati was conferred the title of "National Hero of Indonesia" by the Suharto regime in 1975.

References